Happy Ending
by Salmon
Summary: Destiny is undeniable. Like gravity, indescribable...Based on the Manga Volume One. Yuki struggles with writer block while first meeting Shuichi, and coming to terms with his attraction to him. YxS


Happy Ending A Gravitation Fanfic 

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Destiny is unstoppable.  
I've tried laughter, I've tried tears,  
But it always overpowers me.

It doesn't care a thing about my fears.  
It takes my love,  
And it devours me.

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Another bramble caught on her hem, but Megumi let it tear away part of the kimono - refusing to waste time on getting it unstuck. "Shinde!" She called again, knowing it was useless but unable to stop herself. When the warrior had not returned she'd abandoned the safety of the rebels' stronghold to search for him.

It was wrong, she had a duty to be there. She'd chosen that destiny. Yet all of that was meaningless now. Had been meaningless since the moment she'd layed eyes on Shinde.

Swatting away the branches obscuring her vision and tearing at her hair, she broke free into a more open spot of the woods. Only to find it as empty as the rest had been. "Shinde!" Her voice cracked, unable to hold strong amongst the turmoil of her emotions.

Had he left - as he'd said he would - to return to his lord - knowing that death was the only suitable punishment for his betrayal? Or was he dead already, killed in the battle that had barely ended?

The crash and crackle of the forest shrubbery gave her warning enough to dodge aside as one of Toshima's general's charged forward to attack her with his sword. "Die, witch!"

Megumi dodged his second attack, but she knew her luck couldn't last forever. His third swing sliced into her arm, causing her to stumble. When the general raised his sword to finish the job, though, another body crashed into the clearing, knocking him aside.

The gracefulness of his fighting, and swing of his hair gave away her savior's identity long before she could see his face. "Shinde!"

"Traitor!" The general screeched, charging Shinde. Despite the wounds he already had, he dodged the attack and countered with a stab that drove through their attacker. "Die!" With the last of his strength, the general swung his sword cleanly into Shinde's side.

"No!" Megumi ran forward as Shinde shoved the body of the general away and collapsed forward onto his sword, one hand pressed against the wound. "Shinde, oh no!" Megumi's vision blurred with tears, but she ignored them as she'd ignored the bramble and branches that had tried to ensnare her. She ripped a piece from the already shredded kimono, but could see from the amount of blood that it was too late even as she pressed it against it.

"Better like this then by my lord's hand, I suppose. Or my own under his order." Shinde commented.

"Don't say that!" Megumi told him. "Don't you dare die like this."

Shinde reached out a hand to stroke her cheek. "Your will, my lady, is my desire. But I fear destiny mocks us both in this instance."

"Shinde..." She wrapped her arms around his neck. leaning against him, not caring about the blood spilling onto her kimono.

Shinde tilted her head up to seize her lips in one last kiss. "I...love you, Megumi." He spoke the words that had avoided him for so long.

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"Tackey!" Yuki deleted the chapter, sitting back in his chair to rub the bridge of his nose. Something about the last part of the story just wasn't working out. But he couldn't put his finger on just what it was.

Deciding a walk would do him good, he grabbed his cigarettes and headed out.

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The wind was strong as he wandered through the park aimlessly. Usually it helped him get over his writer's block, but it didn't seem to be working that night.

He heard someone sneeze and was thrown off by the intrusion. Usually the park was empty. Who would be out this time of night?

As if in answer a paper fluttered to the ground at his feet.

"Whoa, my lyrics...hey! Come back here..."

The voice was young, probably a high school student that had decided to take the shortcut back from night shift.

Scooping up the paper, and noticing the words were hand written, he paused to read the lyrics. "Pathetic." He looked up, his gaze taking in the boy who stood across from him.

Wild dark hair blown about by the wind framed a young face. Wide, innocent eyes stared at him. Nervous; embarrassed; enraptured.

'This kid had no idea what love is...' The thought struck him. "Did you write this?"

"Um, heh...Y-Yeah..."

"You write like you're at a third-grade reading level. Is this drivel really your idea of a love song? Are you nuts?"

Emptiness filled his features, and pain began to spark in his eyes. He was so open it was painful. He was in for some rude awakenings.

"If I were you, I'd consider learning a reliable trade." Tossing the lyrics back, he walked away.

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Destiny is unstoppable.  
Everyone has to give in.  
Give up...let life win.

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Megumi wandered away from the camp into the woods. The battle was won, but the true war hadn't even started. The responsibility lay heavily on her.

She let the beauty of the woods calm her frayed nerves, trying not to think - knowing where her thoughts would lead. Shinde...

The figure in front of her appeared so suddenly it was as though he'd been born of the growing shadows. She stared, eyes wide, at the man in front of her for a long moment - disbelief warring with longing. "Shinde?"

Shinde stared back at her delicate features, at her hair which was being blown wildly about her by the approaching storm. Her eyes were wide, and filled with a longing that resounded within him, but that he didn't dare answer. He had nothing to give her. Nothing at all...

"I had to see you one last time." He told her.

Emptiness filled her features, and pain began to spark in her eyes. "I see..." She got out.

"My path is set. I have no chioce." He wondered who he was convincing. Her? Or himself?

"Am I not a choice?" The words came out almost against her will. "Is death so attractive to you? Or have you simply forgotten how to live? Let me teach you how to live again..."

The longing in her eyes was painful. He could drown in her need, and - perhaps - never regret it. But...

"Don't speak like a child!" His voice came out harsher then he inteded. "You chose your path, as I chose mine! We have no choice but to accept our destinies now!"

She looked shattered at his words, but he turned away. "Goodbye."

Megumi collapsed to her knees as he walked away, tears blinding her vision...

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"Not right..." Yuki saved the chapter but didn't print it. He glanced at the clock with a sigh. He was late for a meeting with Mizuki. He was suppossed to have a finished book to give to her. That wasn't going to happen, and she was bound to complain about it. "Editors!" He muttered, heading for the door.

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The blinding rain did little to help the traffic, or his mood. As he'd suspected, Mizuki had been full of complaints about his failing to meet "yet another deadline".

He'd told her if she wanted it finished on time, she could always write the ending. She hadn't found his snide comment amusing. He had to give her credit for putting up with him, though.

The end of the book kept eluding him. He didn't fully like any of the ways he'd ended it so far, though - admittedly - he was happy with parts of his latest addition, but...

Some of it needed fixed, definately. Why had he put her hair down? And to end the book on them arguing didn't seem quite right. He hadn't even had them kiss...

The figure charged in front of his car, throwing his arms wide. Dark eyes stared defiantly into his as he hit the break, as if daring him not to.

He slammed open the car door, tossing his cigarette away. "If you wanna commit suicide, get assistance from someone else, dumbass."

He recognized him immediately. the kid from the park. The rain was falling heavily, soaking them both, though he'd obviously been out in it already. His clothes were clinging to him, his hair plastered agains his face - adding an innocence to the uncertainty filling his face as the defiance fled from his eyes.

"How long do you plan on standing around here?"

Even as he asked the question, he could see the answer. He didn't know. Didn't understand why he'd gone to such lengths to stop him, to see him again.

"Uhhh...Uhhhh...um...well...I was, y'see..."

If he kept on like that, he'd stil be trying to explain when the cops arrived to arrest him for holding up traffic and violating pedestrian laws or whatever. "Look...just get in the car, okay? What a reject."

Yet he couldn't take his eyes off him. The previously wild hair that had been flattened by the rain and hung dripping in his face. The soaked clothes that clung to every angle and curve of his body. He was alluring and innocent at the same time, and he couldn't get the defiant look to leave his mind.

'I know you.' His eyes had seemed to say. 'You're all fake. You'll stop. I know what you want.'

'This kid doesn't even know what he wants, let alone me...' He lectured his mind for coming up with such nonsense, but couldn't resist one last glance to the side at him.

Angry at his own weakness, he jammed the gear to drive and slammed down on the gas pedal. The tires screeched as the car shot forward.

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Destiny is undeniable.  
Like gravity, indescribable.

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Shinde mounted his horse, starting off down the dusty road that would lead him back to the capital. He tried to block the memory of his final glance back at Megumi from his mind, but failed. He could still see her on her knees in the glen. Her face in her hands - her hair blowing wildly around her. Her misery cut him like a knife.

It was his fault. He shouldn't have allowed what had happened between them. Should have walked away the moment he'd felt drawn to her. Had seen the way she looked at him. He'd known he had nothing to offer but an empty future. Yet he had been unable to resist her . And now...

The sky had finally released the downpour of rain, soaking him and doing nothing to alleviate his dark mood.

Suddenly a figure charged from the surrounding woods into his path, throwing their arms wide.

Megumi's dark eyes stared defiantly into his. 'Go ahead! Run me over - if you can!' Her eyes screamed. 'But we both know you can't! Coward! Liar! Do it!'

He pulled up hard on the reigns. The horse reared wildly, throwing him into the underbrush lining the dirt road. Narrowly missing Megumi where she still stood defiantly, arms blocking the path, the horse wheeled back the way it had come, shying a few feet away before stopping.

"Are you insane?" Shinde shouted, managing to regain his feet. "Do you want to die?"

The defiant look fled her eyes as she stood looking at him. The rain had drenched her hair, and it hung, dripping around her. Her kimono was also soaked, and it clung to her body - accenting her curves. She was alluring and innocent at the same time as confusion filled her face - uncertain how to justify her actions.

'Save me.' Her dark eyes whispered. 'Rescue me. I don't want to be alone anymore.'

He turned away to retrieve his errant horse. He had nothing to give. He didn't deserve what she could offer...and yet...

'Rescue me.'

Who was rescuing whom?

His hands seized the reigns and he turned to her. "Are you coming?"

Her face lit up and she ran to him - her lips and body molding to his briefly before she pulled away, blushing.

He lifted her onto the horse before climbing up behind her and encouraging their mount forward. "Teach me how to live again..." He whispered in her ear as they rode away into the storm together.

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A happy ending. Now where had that come from? He remembered how smugly Mizuki had looked at him as she took the end of the book. Hmph. What did she think she knew?

Shuichi's eyes filled his mind as he'd gazed at him across the crowd at his performance. Stricken, confused, innocent...defiant, challenging, hungry... He was as full of contradictions as anyone he knew besides himself.

Why had he gone to watch him perform? What drew him to him? A simple attraction? If he slept with him, would he be able to forget about him?

'I know you...You're all fake...I know what you want.' Those dark eyes had glared at him through the pouring rain.

Rain...

His eyes returned to his computer screen that still held the end of the book he'd given Mizuki.

'Rescue me...'

'Who was rescuing whom?'

'Teach me how to live again.'

He shut down the file. It had nothing to do with him! Granted, he'd changed the ending after meeting him. But it was coincedence, nothing more.

The buzzer began to ring nonstop, and he didn't even realize it as a smile ghosted his lips.

"Hn...so you decided to stop by today Shindo Shuichi." He headed for the door.

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Destiny is undeniable  
Like gravity, indescribable.

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Salmon 2005

AN: Something I came up with a month ago. Excuse my poor attempt at a romance novel inbetween the Gravitation scenes. LOL

I was trying to portray Yuki's emotions before and after meeting Shuichi with them. Like he was writing out his own arguement with himself over his attraction to him and decision to become involved with him in the novel he was writing at the time. I hope it came across alright.

This is a little something to let everyone know I haven't disappeared, and that I'm still writing. I realize this isn't what some of you are waiting for, but hopefully it'll do for starters. If you enjoy my work, please review, and - oh yah - try to swing by my profile...

(Was that a shameless plug or what?)


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